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Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy at CI&T A lot has happened in the first half of 2025, so for to kick off the new season of the Retail Remix podcast, we decided to bring in one of the most broad-reaching, analytical retail minds in the business — Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy at CI&T. We asked her about everything from tariffs and recent bankruptcies to resale, retail media and agentic AI, and as you can imagine she had ample insights to share on a
Global strategy and design studio Dalziel & Pow has created a new store for retail giant Next at Eldon Square this week, Newcastle’s oldest, most iconic shopping centre. The Eldon Square store launch follows Next store openings in Stratford City, Canterbury and Ripon, also designed by Dalziel & Pow. The launch is part of a roll-out of the retail design concept in Next stores across the country this year, with additional store openings planned for 2026 and beyond.
Kevin Tulip’s first experience working in retail was attaching price tags to clothing in the stockroom of Topshop during two weeks’ school work experience in Newcastle, Scotland, where he grew up. From a young age, he had enjoyed shopping with his parents and friends, so it seemed a natural fit to see what it would be like working in a store when he had to choose where to fulfil his work experience.
Taking your retail brand to the next level and attracting an equity investment based on the value of your brand requires not only business acumen but strategies for brand protection. Protecting your trademarks by way of registration is only a first step. Brand identity and value must also be protected by complying with consumer protection, privacy and advertising laws.
Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy
AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.
Key Takeaways Customer-Centric Focus: Successful eCommerce businesses prioritize understanding and addressing customer preferences to create personalized shopping experiences. Robust Branding: Establishing a distinctive and recognizable brand identity fosters trust, enhances customer loyalty, and sets businesses apart from competitors. Effective Marketing Strategies: Utilizing diverse digital marketing tactics, including SEO, email campaigns, and social media engagement, is crucial for attractin
Custom fixtures transform retail spaces from ordinary to captivating by giving every display purpose and personality. They’re not simply shelves or stands—they’re crafted expressions of your brand that invite shoppers to engage, explore, and buy. Investing in well-designed, custom-built pieces helps create a consistent atmosphere that customers remember and trust.
A well-designed product layout is not merely an aesthetic choice; it is a fundamental aspect of retail strategy that can significantly influence customer behavior and sales. When you walk into a store, the layout guides your journey, subtly directing your attention to specific products and areas. A thoughtfully arranged space can create an inviting atmosphere that encourages exploration and engagement.
A well-designed product layout is not merely an aesthetic choice; it is a fundamental aspect of retail strategy that can significantly influence customer behavior and sales. When you walk into a store, the layout guides your journey, subtly directing your attention to specific products and areas. A thoughtfully arranged space can create an inviting atmosphere that encourages exploration and engagement.
The phrase “store of the future” tends to conjure images of futuristic cartoons like “The Jetsons”, complete with robot assistants and voice-activated ordering systems. In reality, the “store of the future” looks a bit different, and it’s closer than many people realise. One player bringing the “store of the future” to life is VenHub Global, a US-based AI and robotics technology company founded by retail veteran Shahan Ohanessian.
In today’s competitive retail ecommerce landscape, where consumer expectations are shaped by experiences from major retailers and marketplaces, brands must go beyond attractive design to deliver experiences that truly convert and retain customers. Success lies in designing digital journeys that do more than look good. They must guide users effortlessly from discovery to checkout, while fostering trust, loyalty and long-term engagement along the way.
When managing retail inventory, grasping the crucial features of stock management systems can greatly improve your operations. Key elements like easy restocking alerts help prevent stockouts, whereas all-encompassing reporting facilitates sales performance analysis. Mobile access allows for management on-the-go, and seamless integration with other tools boosts efficiency.
Custom fixtures transform retail spaces from ordinary to captivating by giving every display purpose and personality. They’re not simply shelves or stands—they’re crafted expressions of your brand that invite shoppers to engage, explore, and buy. Investing in well-designed, custom-built pieces helps create a consistent atmosphere that customers remember and trust.
The rapid rise of AI-powered displays, touchless technology, and sensory marketing is reshaping the future of in-store engagement. Yet for many retail executives, the real challenge is not identifying new tools - it is knowing which signals to trust, which inputs to prioritize, and how to architect decisions that elevate in-store leadership rather than dilute it.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many key industries, one of which is eCommerce. In recent years, business owners have started to rely more heavily upon various AI-powered tools to enhance the user/customer experience, reduce bounce rate, upgrade existing systems, enhance cyber security, boost conversions, and increase revenue. One such tool is the AI shopper or AI shopping assistant, which significantly helps consumers find what they’re looking for quicker than ever.
Incisiv, in partnership with Toshiba, has released the 2025 state of the industry report on store innovation – the findings lay out physical retail’s next chapter. With the right technology stack, retailers are now able to transform their physical stores into multi-purpose platforms for commerce, fulfilment, and customer engagement. Digital-physical integration is accelerating, space utilisation is evolving, and stores are becoming media platforms.
Despite getting off to a slow start ( by some accounts ), Amazon ’s 11th annual Prime Day event — which this year was extended from two days to four — was once again the biggest ever, driving $24.1 billion in online spend from July 8-11, according to Adobe. That’s a 30.3% increase year-over-year, and while that growth was certainly aided by the extended length of the sales event, it still represents 2X the online spend of Black Friday in 2024 ( $10.8 billion ).
Key Takeaways Store Layout Significance: The design of a store layout is crucial for shaping the customer shopping experience and influencing purchasing decisions. Types of Layouts: Different layouts, such as Grid, Free-Flow, Racetrack, and Boutique, cater to varying retail strategies and target customer behaviors. Enhancing Customer Experience: A well-planned layout guides shoppers effortlessly through the store, encouraging exploration and engagement, ultimately leading to a more enjoyable sho
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
In today's fast-paced retail landscape, staying ahead means leading with purpose. In this video, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Sales Leader, Duffy Fron, dives into four transformative strategies that retailers can adopt to enhance their offerings, deliver more value, and drive client success.
In recent months, brands have been subverting, cropping, inverting – even killing – their distinctive assets, also known as brand codes. Kellogg’s reduced its name to just “OG” to become the original gangster of the breakfast table. Heinz swapped its logo out for foods intrinsically linked to its products – fries, beans, toast – in its “It Has to Be…” campaign.
For most people, summertime means sunshine, beaches and barbecues. Retail marketers, however, already have the holiday season on their minds, and summer is a great time to begin holiday prep – including connecting with your legal and compliance colleagues to make sure your mobile marketing program is holiday-ready. Text message marketing is a significant revenue driver for retailers, earning more engagement from consumers daily.
AI agents already analyze trends, draft content, and trigger actions across leading commerce platforms. Yet most organizations still rely on workflows built for human‑only teams, losing speed, margin, and customer loyalty. Humans + Agents: Rethinking Enterprise Commerce in the Age of AI Collaboration shows how to close that gap. In one concise read you’ll see where agent gains surface first, how early adopters prove ROI, and which lean controls keep innovation moving without risking data or bran
Key Takeaways Unique Sensory Experience: Physical stores provide a tactile shopping experience that allows customers to touch, see, and engage with products in a way that online shopping cannot replicate. Personal Connections: Shopping in-store fosters direct interactions with staff, resulting in personalized service and tailored recommendations that build customer loyalty.
The temperatures might be hotting up, but the majority of e-commerce businesses will now be planning for the winter months, with Black Friday always a key revenue driver. In response, a new report has been published by Ecommpay, the inclusive global payments platform, providing vital insights into 2024 Black Friday trends to help merchants plan for this year.
M&S has unveiled a series of innovation projects to support its journey to becoming net zero by 2040. The food and fashion giant said that it had a “clear glidepath” to meeting its target across its entire supply chain, which it had previously flagged as its biggest challenge in its quest for net zero by 2040. The retailer revealed it was investing £1m into funding key projects this year that look at innovative ways to lower its emissions from agriculture.
The Iconic has partnered with Cirkular to stock a curated selection of pre-loved women’s fashion including designer labels such as Jacquemus, Zimmermann, Anna Quan, The Frankie Shop, Viktoria & Woods, Scanlan Theodore, Christopher Esber, Ganni and Alemais. With the addition of Cirkular, The Iconic will expand its offering to include pre-loved garments from the same brands it sells new – something it sees as an opportunity.
Category Management is a cornerstone of a successful retail strategy. While it promotes collaboration between manufacturers and retailers to optimize category performance, challenges persist in its effective implementation due to hurdles in communication and collaboration across teams and partners, and more. In this guide, we outline five essential strategies for success in 2025 that will touch on all the essential pieces of a successful strategy and implementation.
The National Retail Federation ’s annual ranking of the Top 100 Retailers , based on 2024 U.S. sales, has remained remarkably consistent since last year, with the top 13 retail companies — led by Walmart and Amazon in the first and second spots — remaining essentially the same. Target slipped down a notch, from No. 7 to No. 8 in 2025, trading places with Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Retail inventory optimization is the process of managing stock levels to meet customer demand efficiently. It’s crucial for reducing costs and minimizing waste during ensuring product availability. For instance, by accurately forecasting demand , retailers can avoid both overstock and stockouts, which can harm sales and customer satisfaction. Comprehending its significance can help you streamline operations and boost profitability.
In today’s fast-evolving retail landscape, customer expectations have never been higher, especially regarding speed, convenience and seamless service. The modern shopper, increasingly accustomed to digital-first experiences, now demands the same frictionless journey in physical stores. This shift is driving traditional retailers to rethink every touchpoint, from entry to checkout, with a focus on instant gratification and streamlined technology.
Since its 2021 departure from major social media platforms, Lush Australia is doubling its focus on physical retail as a channel for education, community connection and values-driven commerce. By shifting its efforts from digital advertising to grassroots advocacy, the brand is recasting its physical stores as platforms for social impact and conscious engagement.
When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.
Key Takeaways Customer Loyalty Defined: Loyal customers are not just repeat buyers; they are engaged advocates who actively promote your brand through word-of-mouth and trust in your products. Identifying Characteristics: Key traits of loyal customers include high purchase frequency, emotional connections to the brand, and a proactive approach to giving feedback and engaging with the company.
Explore how the 2025 State of the Industry: Store Innovation report outlines the evolution of physical stores into agile, data-driven, and experience-rich environments. The white paper summary highlights key trends like modular design, real-time analytics, unified personalization, and sustainable operations shaping the future of retail.
Visual merchandising is more than just arranging products on shelves; it’s an art form that can significantly influence consumer behavior. As you walk through a store, the way items are displayed can evoke emotions, create a narrative, and ultimately drive purchasing decisions. You may not realize it, but the strategic placement of products, the use of colors, and the overall aesthetic of a store can create an immersive shopping experience that captivates your attention.
Fashion retailer Country Road is set to close a number of stores as declining sales push its South African parent company, Woolworths Holdings, to reduce its retail presence. Among the closures is Country Road’s flagship store in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building, a prominent location the company is vacating to cut costs. Its sister brand, Trenery, will also shut its store in the upscale suburb of Mosman.
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
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